CO2 Refills in the Lewisville/Flower Mound Area?

[Jaf]

Collins Fire & Safety can refill your Co2 from a 5#er to a 20#er. Only do refills no exchanges Usually get it done within 10 minutes. It's located in Carrollton.

 

[MilehighBrew]

After a lengthy search this weekend I found Collins, going in today to get my tank filled. Thanks.

Now I have to get to brewing, Kegerator is all done but no beer to flow through it.

Collins Fire & Safety can refill your Co2 from a 5#er to a 20#er. Only do refills no exchanges Usually get it done within 10 minutes. It's located in Carrollton.

 

[RedRaiderDavid]

Not a fan, why's that?

Sorry, missed this question to me. I have been in there several times and have not received good service at all. I have never been greeted or asked if I need help and usually am made to feel like I am bothering them when I have to track down an employee and ask for help. They don't seem knowledgeable about the hobby and don't seem confident in the products they sell. I have seen them happily servicing other people but I don't get the same. I don't get it, I'm usually in business clothes when I go in, and typically don't have those issues. I'm guessing in their model you have to earn the right to receive good customer service, they don't try to earn your business by giving it to you. Its not how things work in my book so now I just drive to Homebrew HQ or order online.

On the CO2 bottle questions seriously the sooner you give up your connection to the shiny bottles the sooner options open up and things get much easier. I was there, I'm not judging. Most, if not all of the independent gas distributors that did local fills have been bought up by Airgas who do them centrally leaving a few welding and fire suppression shops. Reading this thread you will see its a constant intelligence battle of who still does them. Its not the optimal way we all would like it to be but its just the way it is in this market.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Hit Collins to refill my 20lbs tank last week. Nice folks, cost $35 out the door while I waited. If you just want to do a tank exchange, the brew shop across the highway from Collins is a couple bucks cheaper. Could not find anyone closer to Frisco who fills tanks, plus it is right next to the brew shop. Saves a trip, but Collins not open on Saturday.

5lb tanks can be exchanged at Specs liquor store, not every location, so call first. Only 5 lbs tanks, no other sizes, $17. Not sure about the other big liquor stores.

Sporting goods stores only do 20oz paint ball tanks. Nothing larger at least the ones I called.

 

[MattyIce]

$35?? If you don't mind driving downtown, Bacon Equipment filled a 20# for I think $16 and change while I waited.

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Sorry, missed this question to me. I have been in there several times and have not received good service at all. I have never been greeted or asked if I need help and usually am made to feel like I am bothering them when I have to track down an employee and ask for help. They don't seem knowledgeable about the hobby and don't seem confident in the products they sell. I have seen them happily servicing other people but I don't get the same. I don't get it, I'm usually in business clothes when I go in, and typically don't have those issues. I'm guessing in their model you have to earn the right to receive good customer service, they don't try to earn your business by giving it to you. Its not how things work in my book so now I just drive to Homebrew HQ or order online.

This surprises me greatly. I love WMTS. Employees and owner are very friendly and helpful and on the rare occasion I have had a problem, it has been handled promptly and to my advantage. I wonder if the self-serve aspect of their business is what is off-putting to you. Personally, I like gathering my own ingredients, as I know for sure what I have and am not relying on someone else. As a matter of fact, that is the only thing I ever liked about Homebrew HQ. They were nice guys but I feel about their knowledge, the way you feel about WMTS. Plus they are very extract oriented and have no equipment to speak of. To each his own, obviously, just thought I'd chime in.



As to the topic at hand, I work in Dallas, so I bring my tanks to work and have them filled at Koetter Fire. I fill two 5lb tanks for about $23 and it's quick and easy.

 

[Nagorg]

Update: Looks like 3L has a different domain name for their website now. http://www.3lwelding.com

Bout to go get a fill now!

 

[Nagorg]

And of course they were closed today. So, I had to go exchange my shiny new cylinder after all. Darn!

 

[msayler]

Just did a 20# tank swap at Praxair in Denton today. Cost me $20+tax, which is pretty sweet, BUT even sweeter is that I turned in my crappy 40 year old steel tank with no collar and got a very nice aluminum tank with a single-handle collar! Can't say that it'll happen for everyone, but hot damn!

Might have to hang on to this one and clean it up a bit, then just get it refilled somewhere. Vanity!

 

[JustInterestedInC02]

I just bought a shiny new 5lb aluminum CO2 tank and need to get it filled. From what I gather, most places like LHBS want to do an exchange.

That idea just doesn't set well with me especially if I get a clunky beat up steel tank in exchange. I suspect there has to be someplace that will refill tanks.

Any tips?

I called BrewHound on 3/17/2021 and they will fill YOUR C02 bottle. They do it right there.
My 10lbs bottle will cost $25 ($2.50 per lbs)

BrewHound
8808 Camp Bowie W Blvd #160, Fort Worth, TX 76116
817-615-9551

 

[Nagorg]

I called BrewHound on 3/17/2021 and they will fill YOUR C02 bottle. They do it right there.
My 10lbs bottle will cost $25 ($2.50 per lbs)

BrewHound
8808 Camp Bowie W Blvd #160, Fort Worth, TX 76116
817-615-9551

Thanks for the info. I've not even heard of Brewhound; good to know there's a new LHBS around. Too many have closed over the past few years.

Their location is kinda far from my neck of the woods but still good to know!

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for the info. I've not even heard of Brewhound; good to know there's a new LHBS around. Too many have closed over the past few years.

Their location is kinda far from my neck of the woods but still good to know!

At $2.50 a pound they're definitely reaming it...
Call around first, there must be better alternatives for larger fills/swaps.

The one LHBS here was charging $3.60 a pound for refills, regardless of size. Whaaat?!
Really good for those small portable 2.5# bottles, borderline or high for 5# tanks, and totally asinine for 10 or 20 pounders...

 

[bracconiere]

At $2.50 a pound they're definitely reaming it...

if someone doesn't want to swap a pretty alumminum tank, they sure as hell don't want their **** to stink...so not a big deal...

 

[easttex]

Texas Brewing in Halton City refills bottles.

I live in Dallas and just had three 5lbers refilled at Koetter Fire Protection. They pressure tested a bottle for me as well.

 

[Nagorg]

Texas Brewing in Halton City refills bottles.

I live in Dallas and just had three 5lbers refilled at Koetter Fire Protection. They pressure tested a bottle for me as well.

They are closer for sure but still further than by local Airgas store for a swap. But in all honesty, I gave up on fills a long time ago sadly.

 

[Justice]

Metroplex Welding Supply
1970 W Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75220
5 LB exchange $20.15 each picked up at dock pending inspection of exchange cylinder
20 LB exchange $28.15 each picked up at dock pending inspection of exchange cylinder

Koetter Fire Protection Services
10351 Olympic Dr, Dallas, TX 75220
REFILLS ONLY
5 LB $22
20 LB $31

 

[Paul Hassinger]

FYI, Feb 2025 update, I checked a few places for a 10# refill with the following results:

Welding Supply and fire places did mostly exchanges/no refills or not do food grade CO2.

Best places I found seemed to be:
*Kegs and Barrels - $33
Parkit Market - $33 for exchange/or leave for week or two for refill

Also:
North Texas Homebrew - $50
BrewHound - $50

Not sure if food grade:
DFW Fire - $19
Koetter Fire - ??
Airgas - $33 for exchange, no refills, unsure if food grade

 

[Paul Hassinger]

Update. All companies on my last post said they were food grade. Also:
Koetter Fire - $26

 

[IslandLizard]

Update. All companies on my last post said they were food grade. Also:
Koetter Fire - $26

Looks like a very good deal! Especially if you can wait for it, just one round-trip.

There seems to be only one grade of (industrial) CO2 currently: It's all food grade!
From what I gathered, it's tank handling that determines food/welding grade vs. lower grade fills. May have something to do with cleaning, such as after a hydro test.

Until about 6 years ago, I used to get my CO2 tanks filled at a (fairly large) semi-local Fire Protection service. Walk-in and wait while they filled on the spot. Around $20-25 for a 15# or 20# tank.
They also did hydro testing with a week or 2 of lead time.

Then tank swaps became easier (Praxair), for roughly the same price without the hassle and outlay of periodic hydro testing (paid for by the tank owner/consumer). Swaps for a 20# tank were around $35 last year.

 

[lumpher]

There seems to be only one grade of (industrial) CO2 currently: It's all food grade!
From what I gathered, it's tank handling that determines food/welding grade vs. lower grade fills. May have something to do with cleaning,

I checked into this years ago. What I was told about "food grade" is based on the history of the tank itself. Per AirGas, if the tank has only been used for co2, it's OK to.call it food grade. If the tank has ever been used for argon, for example, it can't be called "food grade". Not sure if this is accurate, but sounds right enough that I've stuck with that thought.